Steps

3.
While the potatoes are boiling, mince the onions and garlic, parboil and finely chop the spinach, and mince the cilantro.

4.
Drain and mash the potatoes while still hot.

5.
While still hot, add the garam masala and coriander powder, and thoroughly mix. Add salt to taste, and stir evenly.

6.
While the potatoes cool, heat oil in a frying pan, then roast the cumin seeds until they start to pop.

7.
Add the ginger and sauté.

8.
Add the onion, and sauté until translucent.

9.
Add the onions, cilantro, and spinach, then mix with your hands; (you can put a vinyl bag over your hand, like a glove, if you prefer).

10.
Shape the mixture into patties.

11.
Heat butter or oil in a frying pan. I recommend butter for better results.

12.
Fry both sides of the patties.

13.
They are best when browned to a crisp. Fry slowly on medium heat.

14.
There you have it! They're called Aloo Tikki in Hindi. They're best served with ketchup, or try them with raita yogurt salad.

15.
This is how they are prepared and sold in India as a snack. I recommend going light on the oil when preparing them at home.

Story Behind this Recipe

In India, this is sold at street-side food stands, but is also sometimes made at home. Since India is a vegetarian-based country, the local McDonald's also serve these potato burgers (McAloo Tikki), which are popular with people of all ages. With that in mind, I came up with this recipe for a home-cooked version.

Helpful Hints

For this recipe, I used spinach since it was on hand, but you can use any variety of cooked mixed vegetables. Just parboil and chop and prep any vegetable on hand, and add it to the mixture. At McDonald's, they serve them deep-fried, but this recipe is the authentic way of eating them.